In trains, such as those using communication-based train control (CBTC) systems, track information, such as, for example, track maps, temporary slow orders, and track speed limits, may be downloaded from remote transceivers, such as those located at rail yards. This process may occur when the train is stationary. For some trains, track information may be downloaded to multiple locomotives. This may result in additional delay of the departure time, since it stresses the communication bandwidth at the rail yard, which may have a single server to service the CBTC data dissemination.
One system for transmitting track information to a train is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,181,943 (“the '943 patent”). The '943 patent discloses a speed and location programmer located at a particular train station used to prepare a non-volatile program that may be used by an onboard microcomputer to control the speed of a train. The program includes train orders, track conditions, and other relevant information, such as size, length, and capacity of the train, which may be obtained from a centralized location. The program is fed into a microcomputer, which monitors the speed and distance of the train and compares it with the program. According to the '943 patent, if the parameters contained in the program are exceeded, either the throttle is reduced or the brakes are applied to regulate the speed of the train. A trip history of the train may be extracted at the next train station to determine the operation of the train by the engineer. The system of the '943 patent uses an operator's console to activate and update the system.
The system provided by the '943 patent may suffer from a number of possible drawbacks. For example, the '943 patent relies on an assumption that only one locomotive will control the train. However, it may be desirable to control the train using different locomotives based on changing conditions and train configurations. As a result, it is desirable for more than one locomotive to have access to track information. Furthermore, the locomotive in the '943 patent must receive the downloaded information from a remote station, which may be impracticable under certain circumstances.
The presently disclosed systems and methods are directed to overcoming and/or mitigating one or more of the possible drawbacks set forth above and/or other problems in the art.